Wrench carrier



Feb. 27, 1968 N. GROE 3,37

WRENCH CARRIER Filed June 22, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 11/021215 G206 wy ym 17 rrakvsxs United States Patent 3,370,696 WRENCH CARRIER Norris Groe, Lake ldills, Iowa 50450 Filed June 22, 1966, Ser. No. 559,454 3 Claims. (Cl. 20616) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pair of panels are hinged together at their lower edges, one panel having projecting fingers that accommodate therebetween the shanks of diflerent-length wrenches to be carried. A latching mechanism involves a vertically reciprocal handle mounted on the panel not having the fingers thereon, the handle being reciprocal into a latching relationship with notches formed on the panel having the fingers.

This invention relates generally to too] holders, and pertains more particularly to a holder for carrying open-end wrenches.

Briefly, my invention employs two panels that are hinged together at their lower ends. ()ne of the panels is formed with spaced fingers that project toward the other panel and the spaces between the panels accommodate or receive the shanks of the wrenches to be carried. 7

The confronting panels confines or retains the wrenches in place between the projecting fingers. A latch mechanism is employed so that the panels are held together and thus securely hold or confine the wrenches until they are needed.

One object of the invention is to provide a lightweight carrier for wrenches that will permit the wrenches to be carried from place to place. An aim of the invention is to provide means for making certain that the wrenches will not fall or drop from the carrier when they are being transported. More specifically, the invention provides a latch that is urged into its latching condition by the weight of the carrier itself, the handle by which the carrier is held serving the dual purpose of a handle and latch member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench carrier in which the wrenches of graduated length are always properly arranged and readily visible so that the appropriate wrench can be selected and easily removed for use when needed.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a wrench carrier of the foregoing type that can be manufactured at a relatively low cost, thereby encouraging its widespread use in the home as well as by mechanics in factories and shops.

These and other objects and advantages of my inven- I tion will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my wrench carrier in actual use, there being two wrenches of different lengths held therein;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view, the view being taken from the left in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the upper portion of the carrier as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view in the direction of line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view in the direction of line 55 of FIGURE 3 which in combination with FIGURE 4 depicts the latch mechanism that is incorporated into the carrier in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is a view corresponding somewhat to FIG- URE 3 but with the handle moved downwardly just prior to opening the carrier for the removal of a Wrench carried thereby;

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view after the front panel has been moved downwardly from the closed position for the purpose of exposing all the wrenches held by the carrier in order to allow their selective removal; and

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken in the direction of line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, it will be seen that my carrier includes a rear panel 10 and a front panel 12, the rear panel having a bottom horizontal flange 14 and the front panel having a bottom horizontal flange 16 which allows a hinge 18 to pivotally connect the two panels 10, 12 together.

The rear panel 10 has upwardly converging side edges 20 and a plurality of forwardly projecting fingers 22 are integral with each side edge 20, these fingers being spaced one above the other so as to provide openings 24. The front panel 12 also is formed with side edges 26 and preferably the edges 26 on the panel 12 correspond angularly and dimensionally with the side edges 20.

Although the invention is susceptible to modification in order to accommodate other tools, it is principally intended to be used for the carrying of open-end wrenches and two such wrenches have been indicated by the reference numeral 28 and appear in phantom outline in certain of the views. While these wrenches 28 are conventional, it might be well to point out briefly that each wrench has an enlarged open end 2? and 34 connected by a shank 32. Owing to the fact that the open ends are larger than the cross section of the shank 32, the various wrenches are easily held captive in my carrier until needed.

Describing further the carriers construction, it will be perceived that there is a top horizontal flange 34 that extends forwardly from the rear panel 10 in much the same fashion as do the individual fingers 22. From FIG- URE 4, it will be discerned that the horizontal flange 34 is formed at its ends with notches 36. Also, there is an integral vertical flange 38 extending upwardly from the horizontal flange 34 and it has opposite ends 39 that serve a purpose presently to be described.

Serving a dual purpose in this instance is a heavy wire latch handle 49. From various figures that have been presented, it will be seen that the handle 40 forms a loop and therefore has a bridging or horizontal portion 42 which turns downwardly at its ends to form a pair of parallel vertical portions 44. The lower regions of the vertical portions 44 are inturned to provide portions 46. Still additional vertical portions 48 extend downwardly from the inturned portions 46 and these additional vertical portions 48 have inturned extremities 50 thereon.

At this time, attention is drawn to the presence of a limit member 62 and this member has a rectangular cross section in the exemplary construction which involves the presence of a web 64 which is easily spot welded to the inner face of the front panel 12 as indicated by the reference numeral 66 in FIGURE 1. From FIGURES, it will be perceived that the limit member 62 has upper and lower connecting strips 68 and 70, respectively, and each of these connecting strips is formed with integral inturned flanges 72. A channel member 74 has its web 76 welded to the inturned flanges 72 as indicated at 78 in FIGURE 7. In this fashion, the end flanges labeled 80 on the web 76 which are integral with the channel member 74 are held in an abutting relationship with the inner face of the front panel 12. As best seen in FIG- URE 7, the channel member 74, together with the limit member 62, functions as a guide for the handle 40. Resort to FIGURE will also assist in understanding the action that is derived from the mechanism just described, for in FIGURE 5 there has been presented the reference numeral 82 which indicates one 'of the t-rackways for guiding one of the additional vertical portions 48. Thus, the handle 40 is constrained for reciprocal motion in a vertical path in order to latch and unlatch the panel 12 with respect to the panel 10. This latching action will be better understood from the ensuing operational description.

Assuming that the carrier has been latched together and that a plurality of ditferent-length wrenches 28 has been placed in the carrier, the wrenches 28 are held between the various fingers 22, the ends of the shanks 32 adjacent the enlarged ends 29 and 3! of each wrench residing in the spaces or openings 24 between the various fingers 22. Due to the enlarged ends on each wrench 28, the wrench cannot move to either side because the heads or enlarged ends will immediately strike the converging edges and 26 on the panels 10 and 12, respectively. Since the front panel 12 is latched into its closing relationship with the various openings 24, the wrenches 28 cannot move forwardly from between the fingers 22. Obviously, the rear panel 16 prevents the wrenches from moving rearwardly. Hence, the wrenches are retained securely in all directions and cannot be taken out until the panel 12 is pivoted downwardly with respect to the rear panel 10.

To accomplish the pivoting of the front panel 12 downwardly, it is first necessary that the handle be pressed downwardly so that the intermediate inturned portions 46 are beneath the notches 36 formed in the top horizontal flange 34. When in this position, the intermediate inturned portions 46 will also be beneath the ends 39 on the vertical flange 38. Hence, with the handle 40 in the position pictured in FIGURE 6, the panel 12 can be swung forwardly and then downwardly into the position shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. This automatically allows access to any of the wrenches 28 and the particular wrench can be taken from between the fingers 22.

Considering the latch mechanism in somewhat greater detail, it will be appreciated that when the handle 40 is urged downwardly from the position of FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 5, the portions 46 not only assume a position out of obstructive engagement with the ends 39, but the downward movement of the inturned intermediate portions 46 is limited by the upper edges of the end flanges 80 belonging to the channel member 74. On the other hand,

when'the handle 40 is pulled upwardly to engage the inturned portions 46 with the ends 39 of the flange 38, the lowermost inturned extremities 50 will abut against the lower side of the member 62, more specifically the lower connecting strip as shown in FIGURE 5. Consequently, the handle 40 is constrained for reciprocal movement between limits in a plane substantially coextensive 4 V with the plane of the panel 12. Since the handle 40 is intended to be fabricated from relatively heavy spring stock, it follows that the vertical portions 48, owing to the resiliency of the handle 40, can bear against the end flanges 8t) and the handle, even when the carrier is open as shown in FIGURESV and 8, will stay in whatever position into which it has been placed. It will also be appreciated that any lifting force that is exerted on the handle 40 will pull the handle upwardly and thereby more firmly efiect the latching engagement of the portions 4-6 in the notches 36 so that inadvertent opening of the front panel 12 cannot occur. In other words, the latch mechanism of which the handle 40 is an important part 7 remains latched as long as any upward force is applied to the handle 40.

It will be understood that my carrier can be made of either plastic or metal.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. A wrench carrier comprising a rear panel having upwardly converging side edges, a plurality of forwardly projecting fingers disposed along said side edges and spaced so as to receive therebetween the shanks of diiferent-length wrenches to be carried, a movable front panel, means hingedly connecting the lower edge of said front panel to the lower edge of said rear panel, notch means adjacent the upper edge of said rear panel, and a handle mounted for slidable reciprocal movement adjacent the upper edge of said front panel having portions thereon engageable with said notch means upon sufficient upward movement of said handle to latch the upper edge of said front panes to said rear panel.

2. A wrench carrier in accordance with claim 1 in which said front panel has converging side edges substantially aligned with the side edges of said rear panel and in which said handle portions are horizontal, said notch means overlying said horizontal portions.

3. A wrench carrier. in accordance with claim 2 in which said handle includes parallel vertical portions in- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,633,030 6/1927 Lawrence 206l6 1,830,577 11/1931 Vallone 206-16 1,889,203 11/1932 Kress 20616 MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner. 

